U.S. Government Ships Plutonium to France

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Mon, Sep. 20, 2004

U.S. Government Ships Plutonium to France

JENNIFER HOLLAND
Associated Press


COLUMBIA, S.C. - A shipment of weapons-grade plutonium has left the United States for a nuclear reactor in France, drawing protests from activists who believe the shipment poses both an environmental and terrorist threat.

Government officials confirmed the plutonium had left the United States aboard an armored ship escorted by second ship, but they would not say when the shipment departed, citing security concerns.

However, about 20 activists waved signs and banners along the Charleston waterfront Monday to protest what they said was the departing plutonium.

"This is really the wrong signal to be sending to countries around the world," said protester Tom Clements of Greenpeace International, calling the transport and use of nuclear weapons material "just the wrong thing given the security climate in the world right now."
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http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/politics/9715769.htm
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[Radius]

1. They use breeder (eats PU)reactors in europe, I believe(NT)

[Massacure]

2. It is safer to get rid of it now than to wait a million years.

People who don't trust Europeans are a crock a shit. In most cases they are smarter than Americans.

European reactors can safely turn Pu into electricity.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

3. Ahhhh. Now I understand how * is going to get France on board

B4 the election....

(tin foil)

[SangamonTaylor]

4. the french are recycling our used plutonium b/c they actually embraced

the technology and can make more power leaving less radioactive waste (our waste). I think it's called pebble bed reactors or something like that...we breifly mentioned them in either my Energy Law or Energy Economics class a few weeks ago.

Nuclear power, while it's waste lasts for thousands of years, is very clean, and has received praise by many environmentalists I know. That said...there's that whole issue of storing radioactive material for thousands of years...

[Radius]

5. Nuke energy

is the only logical choice for supplying vast amounts of energy necessary to manufacture hydrogen in bulk to run fuel cell technology.

Since energy can not be created or destroyed only "repackaged" the nuclear method is the most efficient.

Given energy alternatives it is the lesser of the available evils, IMHO.